...REPARATIONS TO FORMER SLAVES DESCENDANTS. The debate of reparation continues unabated and legendary. It is gathering such a momentum that people who initially did not support it are now changing camps to galvanize support for it. Man was born equal without any superiority of one race over the other. Pigmentation, I believe, should not be a paradigm by which we determine who should rule or enslave the other. Although slavery is as old as the existence of man, its longevity is not a permissible cause to be perpetrated against humanity. The untold hardship executed against humanity, precisely Africans during the era of this heinous and barbaric so called “trade”, as if human beings were commodities, needs a meticulous attention by all level-headed people. In an article, “Lawsuits seek reparation from Britain, France, and Netherlands for their roles in Atlantic slave trade”, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves in his speech on the 68th United Nations General Assembly said “the European nations must pay for their deeds”. He bemoans, “ “The awful legacy of these crimes against humanity – a legacy which exists today in our Caribbean – ought to be repaired for the developmental benefit of our Caribbean societies and all our peoples,” Gonsalves said. “The European nations must partner in a focused, especial way with us to execute this repairing.” Although the petitioners have not specified a monetary figure for the...
Words: 1623 - Pages: 7
...thought of reparations is a controversy topic in existence in political discussions, school systems, and newspapers. The ideas of reparations for slavery have different perspective from a white and black point of views. According to: Reparations: Pro & Con which states “As table 1.1 shows, whites overwhelmingly oppose reparations payments, and a majority of blacks support them”( Brophy 4). People believe that the reparation for slavery was Forty Acres and a Mule, which was supposed to given to each former slave family. However, it was never given to any of them. Will it ever be given? Was this concept used to pacify the cries for justice? The Reconstruction era of slavery begin when the slaves were being abolition of slavery and the final ends of the Civil War. The blacks were in need of economics independence . The need for money forced the former slaves to work for the white landowners to make a living. William T. Shermanwas a West Point graduate. He soon volunteered his services for the American Civil War when it first arose. While the Civil War was going on, he later became supreme commander. He was an essential person to the Reconstruction era. He was never against blacks and he spoke against how slaves were being misused and abused. He wanted the blacks the blacks to be just as equal to him and his race. In his book, William T. Sherman: a biography stated, “He had even advocated that they be taught to read and write, and had stated that illiterate slaves were...
Words: 1187 - Pages: 5
...The article, “Reparations for Slavery?” it’s about the history and the meaning of reparation and how it will affect America with African Americans. The author of this article has three separate parts of the reparations, the idea that comes from it, explaining about the Conyers bill, and the positives and negatives of reparations. For the idea that comes from it, the article explains that it started before the civil war where a General ordered 40 acres of land and a mule for each family that were slaves, however it was rejected twice. There were several other reparations over time, with one the author points out mostly; and that was the second part of the article, Conyers bill. It was in November 1989, where a representative of state named Conyers have created his bill and according to the article the bill’s purpose is, “to acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slaver in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a Commission to examine that institution slavery, subsequent de jure and de facto and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes” (Costly)....
Words: 1034 - Pages: 5
...following the Civil War was marked by slow change and failed reparations. Freedmen were kept in slave-like conditions, and denied land of their own. Reconstruction amendments laid the necessary groundwork so that freedmen could play a functioning role in society and government. David M. Oshinsky’s Worse Than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice provides insight into the conditions freedmen faced directly following emancipation. Some were offered jobs at the plantation they already worked, but were then charged for rent and supplies to the point where they were practically working for free. Their freedom was only a technicality. Under this “new system,” freedmen were kept in a cycle of work-wage- pay rent- repeat....
Words: 529 - Pages: 3
...2014 Article Rebuttal We need a ‘Reparation Superfund’ ( (n.d.). . Retrieved July 8, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/06/08/are-reparations-due-to-african-americans/we-need-a-reparations-superfund), states Mary Frances Berry the former chairwoman of the United States commission on civil rights. Mary Frances Berry believes that ex-slave pension and bounty movement back in 1887 should be followed through. “Whose membership forms stated the number of years they had been working as slaves, along with the names of their slave owners in the plantations on which they lived”. Unfortunately a lot of the ex-slave pension bounty movement individuals have long since passed, “individuals who can prove the identity of slave ancestors, whether they sought reparations in the 19th century are not, could also be eligible.” People who read this article may wonder who will step up to pay these respirations to the individuals who can prove slave ancestry. “Monies could come from corporations that profited from slave labor in from banks and insurance companies that practiced racial discrimination”, states Mary Frances Berry. This ’Reparation Superfund’ is ridiculous and inappropriate. I among millions of Americans are truly saddened by the history of our great country. Tragedy has stung most countries on this planet when it comes to slavery. Slavery dates back to 6800 B.C. “world’s first city grows up in Mesopotamia” (Home - Free the Slaves. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 8, 2014,...
Words: 640 - Pages: 3
...A Consideration for Reparations Harriet Bailey had just given birth to her son, the product of a rape committed by her white master, when she was separated from him at birth. Harriet had to travel 12 miles at night to see her infant son and spend a a few hours with him, only to journey back early the following morning to her reality as a slave. This woman, the mother of Frederick Douglass, represented many of the victims of a common slave practice: Separation, arranged by slave owners in order to “hinder the development of the child’s affection toward its mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child” (Douglass 2). Douglass presents such inhumane treatments done to him, his family, and others in his autobiography,...
Words: 1133 - Pages: 5
...just read what do you mean and the truth is it was. The trip took you around the whole grounds and the part that was hardest to see was the slave quarters. I have seen better accommodations for horses. These people were packed in like sardines and lived like the live stock that Washington ate. They were not treated any better than an animal and the comments from the presentation didn’t shock me at all. George Washington bought, sold, inherited, and otherwise acquired hundreds of slaves over his lifetime, at one point even helping to manage a lottery in which slave children were "prizes.” (Wiencek, 2003). This man owned 317 slaves over his lifetime and was ashamed at times and tried to cover it up. In a letter to William Pearce on March 22, 1795, Washington offered to secretly join in the expense of recapturing a runaway slave but said "I would not have my name appear in any advertisement, or other measure, leading to it."(Fitzpatrick,1940 P 154). As American people we always want to believe that we are a nation that always stood up for the little people, protected what was right and stood for what was good. I mean many people think of how we helped free the Jews during WWII, but the truth is we didn’t really get involved till the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. We are taught about Slavery in school, and how Lincoln freed the slaves. People don’t really think about the people that helped us get...
Words: 865 - Pages: 4
...“Calculating Reparations” by William Raspberry, is an online newspaper article, obviously about reparations. Reparations are a debt that is repaid to a certain group and in this article, it focuses on the reparations that “White America” owes “Black America”. It can be easily understood that black Americans have gone through a plethora of things while in this country: slavery, segregation, endless discrimination, etc. Richard America (this is his actual name) is a professor at Georgetown University School of Business has stated that reparations must be acknowledged; that the acknowledgement will help Americans get past ceaseless debates over “set-asides”, enforced diversity, and affirmative action. While the professor doesn’t believe that the costs of these...
Words: 987 - Pages: 4
...The Impact of Slavery on American Society DeVry University Abstract The subject of slavery has been the focus of a variety of controversies, debates, and protests throughout American history. Besides the Civil War era there has not been another time in history when slavery has been such a volatile topic as it has become in the last half decade. Even in modern day America the subject of slavery evokes significant discussions and has influenced legislative decisions such as the recent removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s State House grounds and other government and public locations throughout the South. This paper seeks to review the literature attaching the history of slavery and present examples of the ethnic and cultural contributions that aided in the growth and diversity of America. It will also introduce examples of today’s societal issues including educational, economic, and social variances; the right to support cultural heritage; and the significant role history plays in influencing decisions made in America today. Introduction American history is filled with heinous acts that many would like to forget happened; slavery is no exception. Although it was a necessity of the times, slavery is undoubtedly one of the most volatile topics of discussion today; not just because of the inhuman and discriminatory treatment that was inflicted on an entire race, but also because of the perceived continued existence of some of those same...
Words: 2913 - Pages: 12
...Between the World and Me has solidified the empathy needed for White Americans to “ultimately stop themselves.” What the book doesn’t do, however, is give us the tools to do this, the tools needed to spread the message to unbelievers and recreate the empathy that Coates displays so well. Of course, this was not the purpose of the book; it’s the purpose of Coates’ essay “The Case for Reparations,” where he uses historical research and evidence to make the argument for American slave restitution. In the piece, Coates provides the necessary tools for White Americans to believe and push the progressive notions warranted in order to make a difference in the African American community, and it accomplishes this with little visceral empathy—just research, history, and logic—differing from Between the World and Me. And so, wherever “The Case for Reparations” falls, Between the World and Me rises in its place, and vice versa, making them perfect companions for each other, a companionship key for white readers,...
Words: 1488 - Pages: 6
...1. Freedmen’s Bureau- was a government agency that was established in order to help freed slaves. This agency was developed in 1865 and provided schools, education, economic assistants and protection to these formers slaves. Education was important for the slaves because without literacy they were at the mercy of other people. 2. Black Codes- these were laws passed by the states before the civil war, which prohibited African Americans from having many of the rights that whites did. An example of this was the poll tax they required from African American voters in their attempt to prevent them from voting. 3. Compromise of 1877- the compromise allowed Republican Rutherford B. Hayes to win the election on the condition that the Republicans...
Words: 805 - Pages: 4
...Gilda Duran Elaine Parker-Gills, Ed. D January 24, 2016 The Case for Reparations This article is written by Ta-Nehish Coates an American writer, journalist and editor. Coates is a National correspondent for the Atlantic, were he writes about cultural, social and political issues. More so in regards to African- Americans. Coates has also worked for the Village Voice, Washington City Paper and Times. Ta-Nehisi Coates also published a Memoir “The beautiful Struggle” in 2008, and released his second book in July 2015 “Between the world and me.” Coates was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Father Paul Coates a Vietnam War Veteran, former Black Panther, Publisher and librarian, and Mother Cherly Coates, who was a teacher. The Case for Reparation intricately traces the history of racism in the United States from long after slavery ended, to recent examples of housing discrimination. Coates writes about decades of racist policies and deliberate injustices-from Jim Crow to redlining. Not to leave out the unfair housing policies and GI bill. I found this article to be most educational, informative, and well written. I am one who knew very little about the history of slavery that went back as far as 1619. Once I started reading this article I could not put it down. This article had me feeling a shame of myself for not knowing my history. I loved the way Ta-Nehisi Coates writes and speaks. I have to say I was very intrigue with Coates that I got on you-tube and listen to a few of his...
Words: 888 - Pages: 4
...Stephen Moore AC1101673 HS250 World Civilizations II Lesson 3: Assignment 3 15 August 2015 The American, French, and Haitian Revolutions: Causes and Consequences The world in the 18th century was in turmoil. Not so much politically as it was philosophically. For centuries the power of government had rested in inheritance and tradition. The king was king by birth and divine right. People were content to accept their lot. You took what life gave you and did the best you could with what you had, but all that was about to change. Starting around the turn of the 17th century, works by philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, David Hume, Emmanual Kant and others began making their way into the libraries of the common people. The ideas about government and its existence were starting to be questioned. The government, the philosophers preached, existed to serve the people, not the other way around. If and when a government fails to be of benefit to its people, then said subjects have the right to abolish the current government. It was this idea, along with the teachings of all men are created equal that would eventually lead to the revolutions that would dominate the end of the 18th century and on into the 19th century. Called the "shot heard around the world" by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his poem “Concord Hymn”, a bullet fired in Concord, Massachusetts in 1775 is credited by many as the official start of the American revolutionary war. In reality, though...
Words: 2559 - Pages: 11
...Andrea Cohen October 4th, 2012 Professor Marcel Nazi era- Companies that Help in the Holocaust Throughout history, there have been important events that have distinct a particular ethical issue within various companies. One of these horrific events was the Holocaust, which is defined by Michell R Marrus as “the systematic mass murder of European Jewry by the Nazis”, which “sits uneasily in the history of our time” (Marrus, 1987). To many people the Holocaust is still a source of remorse. Consequently they feel embarrassed, since many were apathetic towards the people suffering, but many also believe that historical investigations can bring about additional insight regarding companies and their commitments. The Holocaust is a part of the history that produces an uncomfortable sensation because of the horrible that happened in this era. As Nora Levin stated, it is not only the magnitude of the destruction- the murder of six million Jews- but because the events surrounding are in a very real sense incomprehensible. No one can understand how mass murder in such a scale could have happened or could have been allowed to happen. The purpose of this paper is not to talk about the Holocaust, however, to create a profound analysis of the German automobile companies that helped the Nazis to perform and gain profits from this holocaust of innocent people. Examples of these companies are the Ford Company, BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke), Daimler Benz, and Volkswagen. From 1930-1945...
Words: 2572 - Pages: 11
...Affirmative Action The Emancipation Proclamation issued January 1, 1863, set slaves in the confederate states free. The Thirteenth Amendment permanently abolished slavery. The former confederate states, not wanting to let go of their control over blacks, established the restrictive “Black Codes.” The Civil Rights Act of 1866 proposed by Andrew Johnson was the first Civil Rights act ever written. The act was turned down by congress. The act would have given all blacks the same rights as whites. The issue of discrimination has been addressed in the court system many times. Beginning with the Dred Scott v. Sanford (1) case, in which the Supreme Court ruled, that blacks as “subordinate and inferior beings,” could not constitutionally be citizens of the United States. More recently, the Bakke case gave a look at the workings of affirmative action. A white student was denied admission to U.C. Davis because the school had already met its quotas for white students. “Affirmative action”(2) is a term coined by President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. In an executive order Johnson declared that federal contractors should take “affirmative action,” this was to guarantee that “applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Executive Order #11246 would increase the number of minorities employed by federal contractors. This order would become a major policy issue for...
Words: 706 - Pages: 3
